Scars of the Past
by The F8ful 1
Summary: While trying to escape a gang of griffins, the lone vigilante Dusk Scar goes into Everfree Forest. Held by a vow to his sister, he may not let the mare he met in the woods come to any harm, regardless of what it might cost him.


_I stumbled through the night, unable to be seen. All I could do was run, but there was nowhere to run to. The heavy footsteps of my pursuer were very audible, despite the fact that I couldn't hear in one ear. I turned to see a giant dragon, dwarfing me. The dragon let loose a roar that shook the earth. I unsteadily took a few steps back. The dragon released a hearty chuckle, then drew closer. I began to gather magic to teleport away, but a voice stopped me._

_"Brother, help me." The voice pleeded. I turned around to see Dawn Star backed up against a tree in the very same situation. A swipe hit me, throwing me many feet away. The wind was blown out of me, making it impossible to breath._

I awoke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. I nearly fell out of the tree I was sleeping in, my rope keeping me in place. I found the forest peaceful and loved no place more, but I stayed here more for survival than for enjoyment. I undid my loose knot that kept me from falling out and with a flap of my mechanic wings flew to the ground. I landed on all four hooves, attempting to keep my weight off of the bad one but failing horribly. I winced from the pain, but I knew that I must get out of here before they found me again. After stealing back a stolen fortune and giving it to the original owner, I was found by the original thieves, a group of griffins. Now I was nothing but an animal getting hunted down in the forest. If I left the forest, the griffins would be able to fly faster than me and I would have no place to hide, no source of food and no water. The only hope I had was to wait for help, help I would not accept. No matter how small, I deserved no kindness and would never be able to fix that.

Packing the rope inside of my bag that rested on my side. The bag was made by my sister Dawn Star when we were young. That and the stub where my horn used to be are the only memories of the time long forgotten. I began to bound through the forest on 3 hooves, keeping off my back right leg to avoid the misery of being caught and skinned alive. He didn't mind the fact that if he used it there would be pain shooting through his body, but he didn't want to try using it and risk slowing down.

I dodged between the dark trees of Everfree Forest, overgrown by the lack of care in the past. I flapped my wings to increase my speed, though I never risked opening the machines to their full ten foot length. If the delicate machine made full contact with a tree, the complex device would be destroyed and he would never be able to get it repaired.

I could feel my silver mane shimmering in the wind, refracting the light. It was annoying to say the least. It reflected any and all light that fell on it, giving his position away on many missions. They were hardly missions though, due to the vigilante nature of them and the fact that he had no back up, no intel and no help in general. They better fit into the category of quests, but those didn't have the same appeal to me. It made me feel like I was in the olden days and he was essentially half machine, so it made me feel more out of place than normal.

My flight/run came to a screeching halt when I collided with a sturdy house. I could feel something was broken, but I was too dazed to tell. My impact must have made a large noise because before too long, a butter-colored pegasus came out and regarded me with a near-silent hello.

"Sorry to drop in like this, I'll leave now." I said.

"No, you can't do that. You must be hurt after that." She said, a bit louder this time. Her pink hair hid her face.

"No, I can't trouble you. You would be in too much danger for me to accept." I looked around worried at the forests surrounding. I saw movement of animals. They were not small, but the shadows covered them. I had no idea if it were my pursuers or not. "No excuse me, I have to get a-"

Her eyes peaked out from the pink cloak of hair and changed somehow. Instead of seeming gentle and leniant, they were now authoritative and commanding, sending jitters down my spine. "No, you are staying to get patched up." She commanded me.

As much as I wanted to say no and run away, the look stopped me like a wall. I could only ablige to the quiet mare.

"We will take you into town and put you in Nurse Redheart's care."

"No, we can't go into town." I said, not willing to put the townsfolk in danger. She glared back at me, but i shut my eyes tightly, not letting anything get in the way of their safety.

Her voice went soft once more. "Why not?"

I still refused to open my eyes, but I responded with a clear answer "I can't let them get hurt."

"Why would they get hurt?" Her voice now got worried, though I still could not see her facial expression so I had no idea how she was reacting.

"I might have made a few enemies. Please, let me go. I can't let you get hurt. I'll be okay, I always am." I begged her, my eyes still closed. I tried to keep my face calm, but there was probably worry all over it.

Nobody spoke for a moment, then a roar came from behind us. She gave a squeak. The thought of this shy mare getting hurt brought a tear to my eye. The tears welled up until I was forced to open my eyes. It reminded me far too much of the past for me to keep the tears from flowing, so they began to fall down my muzzle and drip onto the floor. "Please, let me go. I can make the monsters go away."

"You may go, but please come back." She said, admitting me to leave. I felt the lock barring me from leaving release, a weight lifted off my chest.

"Thank you." I said, jogging away. I went fast enough where it would be hard to catch me, but not so fast I would lose them. If I lost them, they may return to the cabin. I had never known anyone lived here, but now I knew that though it was not the ideal living condition, some must enjoy to be out here.

I couldn't hear anything behind me, so I slowed down. Still not hearing anything, I turned around and heard one word.

"HEELLP ME!"

Something overcame me. I could feel intense anger. They must have heard my desperation to escape and used it to draw me back.

I flapped my wings to rise above the trees. I saw the clearing and the cottage about a hundred feet away. I was suprised her quiet voice could break through the dense forest.

"Dawn, I'm coming."


End file.
